{"id":1151,"date":"2020-10-09T14:25:11","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T19:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/?page_id=1151"},"modified":"2024-11-22T14:37:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T19:37:18","slug":"project-authentic-voices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/project-authentic-voices\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Authentic Voices"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Within our specific core company value of\u00a0<\/span>inclusivity,<\/a>\u00a0we are outlining our base principles for Project Authentic Voices.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Context<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Voice123 has the potential to play a role in improving equality across the voiceover industry.\u00a0<\/span>Not just because it\u2019s the right thing to do, but because we genuinely want to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The team has been reflecting on the major systemic inequalities experienced by marginalized groups within society, and more specifically, how we as an organization can play a part in changing these long-standing and deeply entrenched prejudices.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We aim to educate, not regulate<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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At Voice123, supporting clients with their project needs is an integral part of our services. Here are some tips that will help us all be more equitable in our approach, simply on the basis of <\/span>saying what you mean<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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  1. Keep project proposals simple<\/strong>
    Are the project proposals upfront, direct and clear? (e.g., <\/span>I am looking for a Black voice actor, I am looking for a voice actor who identifies as non-binary, etc.)\n<\/em>

    <\/em><\/p><\/li>\n

  2. Ask for exactly what you want<\/strong>
    If a project requires voice actors from a specific group, this should be stated explicitly. Do <\/span>not <\/span><\/strong>use cryptic, stereotypical or offensive descriptions (e.g., <\/span>urban<\/em> <\/span>or <\/span>African-American voice<\/em>).\n

    We started a <\/span>Voice123 dictionary<\/a><\/b> to explicitly state which words & terms we consider cryptic, stereotypical or offensive. It is a living, breathing document; we invite you to suggest your ideas so we can build this together.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. Provide examples for clarity<\/strong>
    If there is a particular voice reference (e.g., <\/span>celebrities, characters<\/em>), share it! It can help articulate requirements more clearly.\n<\/li>\n
  4. Specific requests pertaining to or excluding marginalized groups<\/strong>
    These are harder to catch. They can be positive or negative, but you <\/span>must<\/strong> <\/span>be conscious of both sides. Be conscious of the negative biases that can be perpetuated through repeated use of, what is pretty lazy character development by anyone\u2019s standards. But also be conscious of the positive ripple effects that follow when casting from underrepresented groups as an integral part of a project, not just being a checkbox on a “diversity list.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We do not wish to restrict or negate client or editorial freedom in any way, so we hope that this base guideline will help clarify our approach to improving equality and diversity for the benefit of everyone involved. If you do have any questions, please <\/span>contact us<\/strong><\/a> <\/span>here.<\/p>\n

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      We aim to promote, not enforce<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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      At Voice123, we absolutely understand the realities of voice acting as a full-time career. It\u2019s a competitive, fast-paced industry and requires discipline, flexibility and flair. And rightfully so, this ability opens doors towards a wide variety of projects and roles.<\/p>\n

      We want to keep the \u2018acting\u2019 in voice acting alive. We don\u2019t want to take it too far; it is not our intention to silo anyone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      That is NOT our end game.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      But it’s also up to the voice actor to draw a line. As this line is different for everybody, a person\u2019s moral compass should be the guide.<\/p>\n

      Here are some examples and reminder prompts of ways we can all actively consult our moral compass.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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      1. What are your values?<\/strong>
        Work is work is work, right? Well, yes. However, we all have our boundaries. There is power in being able to say \u2018yes\u2019. But there is as much power in saying \u2018no\u2019. Voice actors should feel free to respond to any invitation that fits their profile, but if<\/strong><\/em> the audition calls for an authentic voice or accent, a voice actor who does not qualify on the basis of true authenticity should strongly consider refraining<\/strong> from auditioning. And on the topic of saying no, as much as we\u2019re pushing the importance of authenticity, it is very important for voice actors to feel confident <\/strong>in their ability <\/strong>to say no<\/strong> to work if it is not in accordance with their personal values\/career goals, without<\/em> any qualifiers from the get-go.

        PS: Sometimes our search algorithms might\u2019ve made a mistake! If you believe that there is an issue with regard to any project proposals, you can get in touch with us here<\/strong><\/a>.

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      2. Honesty is the best policy.<\/strong>
        That means being upfront about your situation. Voice123 is an open marketplace that encourages relationship-building between creatives. If you have any doubts about whether you\u2019d be a good fit for the project, state relevant information about yourself so the client has a full picture when deciding how to proceed next.

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      3. We\u2019re here to help.<\/strong> <\/span>If anytime you see something that simply does not sit right with you, please <\/span>let us know<\/strong>.<\/a> <\/span>We can then support the client in reframing their brief and attracting the best voice for their project. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        We are here to assist you in creating successful, lucrative and enjoyable voice-over acting careers, and this is just a baseline to provide nuance as to how we\u2019d see us all working together to continue crafting the future of the voiceover industry.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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        Our 3 Pillars of Action<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Voice123\u2019s 3 main pillars of actions have been derived as the constant actions we must ingrain in our culture to support the two main efforts above.<\/p>\n

        \"\ud83c\udf3a\" <\/span>FOUNDATIONAL<\/b><\/h3>\n

        We commit and build this into our company foundation, remaining resolute from the start. It\u2019s so crucial to stress the importance and value we attach to authentic voices. It must be part and parcel of our brand identity and company culture so that everyone is on the same page.<\/p>\n

        \"\ud83d\udc42\" <\/span>LISTENING<\/b><\/h3>\n

        We listen. We understand that those from marginalized groups, including women, BIPOC1<\/sup>, LGBTQ+2<\/sup> <\/span>and the elderly, may not always receive the same treatment and we pledge to level the playing fields for all. We make it easy to collect feedback to learn about their needs and requests.<\/p>\n

        \"\u270a\" <\/span>PRIORITIZING <\/b><\/h3>\n

        We prioritize. But it’s on us to prioritize <\/span>what\u2019s important to us<\/strong>. If <\/span>\u201cactively promoting equality and diversity in the voiceover industry\u201d<\/em> <\/span>is part of our goal, then ultimately, our decisions and actions must reflect that.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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        <\/h1>\n

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        <\/h1>\n

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        1: BIPOC: <\/strong>Black, Indigenous, People of Color<\/sup><\/p>\n

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        2: <\/sub><\/sup>LGBTQ+:<\/strong> Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer
        [+<\/strong> includes all of the communities in the \u201cLGBTTTQQIAA\u201d: L<\/strong>esbian, G<\/strong>ay, B<\/strong>isexual, T<\/strong>ransgender, T<\/strong>ranssexual, 2\/T<\/strong>wo-Spirit, Q<\/strong>ueer, Q<\/strong>uestioning, I<\/strong>ntersex, A<\/strong>sexual, A<\/strong>lly.]<\/sub><\/p>\n

        <\/p>\n

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        <\/p>\n

        A big thank you goes out to Nyasha Pitt<\/a> for consulting on the overall structure of Project Authentic Voices, as well as voice actors on Voice123 who offered suggestions and feedback to improve this document, in no particular order: Gabriel Ivan Uriarte Garc\u00eda, Dre Parker, Katie-Ren\u00e9e Taylor, Rosa Howard, Monique Caradine, Victoria Taylor Swilley, Adri\u00e1n Barr\u00f3n, JV Hampton VanSant, Crystal Cohen, Keong Sim, Dave Braxton, Lorna Duyn, Hillary Hawkins, Saundi Harrison, Chris Schermerhorn, Nydia Monarrez, & Michael Hale. A final thank you to Lori Beckstead, Tate Brombal and Laura Heidenheim<\/sub> for further advice and consultations. <\/sub><\/p>\n

        <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Within our specific core company value of\u00a0inclusivity,\u00a0we are outlining our base principles for Project Authentic Voices. Context Voice123 has the potential to play a role in improving equality across the voiceover industry.\u00a0Not just because it\u2019s the right thing to do, but because we genuinely want to. The team has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1151","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1151"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92045,"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1151\/revisions\/92045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}